GB2191947A

GB2191947A - Moxibustion device

Info

Publication number: GB2191947A
Application number: GB08615407A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shuenn Jen Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-25
Filing date: 1986-06-24
Publication date: 1987-12-31
Also published as: GB8615407D0; US4671788A; GB2191947B

Description

1 GB 2 191 947 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Moxibustion device Acupuncture and moxibustion are important and powerful therapeutics in traditional Chinese medi cine. Acupuncture is nowfamous throughoutthe world and is being developed and researched by modern western medicine. This has resulted in many new developments, such as the replacing of traditi onal needles with laser beams.

Moxibustion, however, as of yet has not been highly respected by modern medicine. Traditional moxibustion, although medically effective, is therea peutical ly crude and rough. And actually, it has been inconvenient, troublesome and limited to on specific areas of the human body. This may be the reason thatthe moxibustion has notyet been used world wide and has not been applied in modern medicine.

The embodiments of the invention will now be de scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred em bodiment in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmental view of the preferred emb odiment in accordance with the invention as shown in Figure 1; Figure3is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment in accordancewith the invention as shown in Figure 1; Figure4is a second embodiment in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a third embodiment in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and in particularto Figure 1, 2 and 3, it can be seen thatthe moxibustion device 1 of the present invention comprises a cover 2, a base 3 and a moxa container4.

The cover 2 is an upside-down bowl-like member which has a threaded opening 21 on its top canter and a cylindrical portion 22 extending from the mouth of the bowl-like cover 2. An inward rim 23 is provided on the outmost position of the cylindrical portion 22 to support a netted moxa ash tray 6.

The base 3 is a hollow cylinder 31 with a plurality of legs 32, preferably three, disposed thereunder so as to stabilize the present invention on the surface of the patient (not shown). A suction cup 321 is dis posed on the lowermost end of each leg 32 so asto secure the present invention on the patient's body.

The outside surface of the cylindrical portion 22 of the cover 2 and the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder31 of the base 3 are provided with threads (22a and 31 a, respectively) which engage with each other so as to secure the cover 2 with the base 3 and so as to al low the distance between the cover 2 and human body (not shown) to be adjustable. The en gaging means of the base is female threading and the engaging means of the cover is male threading.

The moxa container4 is preferably a tube-like member, the outside surface of which has threads 41 transversing a suitable length. Thesethreads 41 en gage with threaded opening 21 ofthecover2soasto allow forthe adjustabi lity of the relative distance 5 between the tube-like moxa container 4 and the 130 cover2. The lower end of the moxa container4hasa moxa net42on itsinsidewhich keepstheburning moxatherewithin. Further,a retainer 43 is provided onthelowerend ofthemoxa container 4. This re- tainer43 is affixed to the lower end ofthe moxacontainer4soasto preventthe moxa net42from dropping or being forced out thereof. The retainer43 isa U-shaped resilient wire with asmall inward projection 431 on each of the two legs of the U-shaped retainer 43. Disposed in close 15 proximity with the lower end of the moxa container 4 are two apertures 45 which correspond to the projections 431 of the retainer43. The projections 431 are insertable into the apertures 45, thus keeping the retainer 43 there and preventing the moxa net 42 from dropping out of the moxa container 4. Inside the moxa container 4, two opposite hooks 44, which are inclined downwardly, are disposed at a position approximately the height of the moxa net42 from the lowerend of the moxa container 4. This prevents the burning moxa from failing out of the moxa container 4 when the container4 is placed upside down. After moxa is fed into the moxa container 4, a plunger 5 with an enlarged end51 and a plunger head 52 is inserted into the tube-like moxa containter4. The surface area and the cross-sectional shape of the enlarged end 51 are almostthe same as the inside cross- sectional area and shape of the moxa container 2. The plunger head 52 is biggerthan the enlarged end 51, thus preventing the plunger 5 from dropping into the moxa container 4. The enlarged end 51 is inserted into the moxa container so as to lightly press the moxa together, thereby generating high density heat radiation from the burning moxa, thus increasing its medical effectiveness.

Although this invention has been described as a preferred embodiment, there are many other possible variations otherthan those hereinbefore set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. Examples of these variations can be seen in Figure4 and 5. In Figure 4, it can be seen that on the outside surface of the cylindrical portion 22 there are a plurality of small projections 24 (onlyone is shown), while there are a plurality of sloped slots 33 (only one is shown) provided on the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder31 of the base 3 corresponding to the projections 24. By the engagements of the projections 24with corresponding slots 33, the cover 2 is adjustably dis- posed on the base 3.

In Figure 5, a third embodiment is shown, wherein a circumferential skirt 25 is formed integrally outside the cylindrical portion 22 of the cover 2, extending 5 downwardly and defining a circumferential slot 26 with the outside surface of the cylindrical portion 22. The base 3 is then squeezed into the slot 26.

Claims

1. Amoxibustion device comprising: abase which is constituted by a hollow base body and supporting means, said supporting means being disposed under said base body, said hollow base body having engaging means for engaging with and holding a cover; 2 GB 2 191 947 A said cover having a wide mouth corresponding to the inner diameter of said hollow base body and a threaded opening disposed on the top thereof for receiving a moxa container, said mouth further having an extended cylinder, said cylinder having engaging means for engagement with said engaging means of said hollow base body and an inner circumferential rim to support a netted moxa-ash tray; a netted moxa-ash tray disposed on the inward rim lo of said cover preventing hot moxa-ash from dropping directly on hu man body; a hollow moxa container having one end being provided with a moxa net disposed therein and retaining means to retain said moxa net, said moxa container further being provided with athreaded zone on the outside surface to engage with thethreaded opening of said cover; a plunger having an enlarged end corresponding to the inside shape of said moxa container, said plun- ger also having a plunger head which prevents said plungerfrom dropping into said moxa container.

2. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means forsaid base is a plurality of legs.

3. A moxibustion device as setforth in claim 2, further comprising a suction cup disposed under and attached to each of said leg.

4. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein the retaining means is a U-shaped wire with two inward projections atthe end of each leg thereof, said moxa container being provided with two apertures which are nearthe end where the moxa net is disposed therein and which correspond to the projections of the U- shaped retaining means in orderto receive the projections of the retaining means.

5. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, further comprising two opposite downwardlyinclined hooks which are disposed inside the moxa container at a position approximately the height of the moxa netfrom the end where the moxa is disposed therein.

6. A moxibustion device as setforth in claim 2, wherein the number of the legs is three.

7. Amoxibustion device assetforth in claim 1, wherein said base body is a hollow cylinder.

8. A moxibustion devicd asset forth in claim 1, wherein said cover is an upside-down bowl-like member having said threaded opening at its top center.

9. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein said moxa container is a tube-like member.

10. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein the engaging means of said base is a female thread and the engaging means of said cover is a malethread.

11. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein the engaging means of said base is a pluralityof sloped slots and the engaging means of said cover is a plurality of projections corresponding to said slots.

12. A moxibustion device asset forth in claim 1, wherein the engaging means of said base is a pair of finished inner and outer surfaces of said hollow body, said engaging means of said cover being a cir- cumferential skirt disposed outside and surrounding the cylindrical portion of the coverto define a circu- mferential slot with the outside surface of the cylinder, the side surfaces of said slot being finished so as to exactly match the engaging means of said base.

13. A moxibustion device as constructed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (LI K) Ltd, 11187, D8991685. Published byThe Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London,WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.